Project #83303 - Statistics

23 Mathematics Tutors Online

Suppose a couple has four children. Assume that each child is equally likely to be a boy or a girl, regardless of the outcome of previous births. The following table shows the results of a simulation to determine the gender breakdown in 20 families.

Number of girls

0

1

2

3

4

Probability

2/20 =0.1

4/20= 0.2

6/20 = 0.3

5/20 = 0.25

3/20 = 0.15

a. Based on the simulation results, which is more likely, a 2:2 split of boys and girls or a 3:1 split in either direction?

b. Write out the sample space and calculate the exact probabilities for the various possible gender breakdowns.